My 350D died for one day

S

swift412

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I plugged my Canon 350D into my PC yesterday to download some photos. Usually I use a card reader but I left it at work. I plug it in, my PC picks it up, but doesn't see any photos on the camera. Weird...

I unplug my camera. At this point the top LCD screen is still on, showing f4.5, 205 shots left, exposure meter etc. I switch it off, and the screen stays on. I flip the switch on and off, press buttons but no response. I figure it's just frozen up, so I take the battery out and put it back in.

I turn the power switch on, and nothing happens. I trying taking things out and putting them back on, still no signs of life. At this stage, I begin to worry, A LOT :eek:

After a lot of Google'ing, I found someone on a forum saying that taking both batteries out, then closing the battery door and leaving the camera switch on, then putting the batteries back in helps with this sometimes.

I tried this, and it worked!

Then, in my infinite wisdom, I tried plugging in the USB cable, and the EXACT same thing happens again :rolleyes:

However, this time, leaving the batteries out doesn't work. I try the recommended 15 seconds. Nothing. I try a minute. Nothing. I try 10 minutes - nothing. I decide to let it stand overnight. 5 hours later, I wake up, try it again, nothing.

I decide to let it stand for 12 hours, while I'm at work and around. I decided to pick up a new CR-2016 battery for it, just in case.

I get home, and try putting the batteries back in, and nothing :(

At this point I got really desperate, and ending up looking for step by step photos on dismantling a 350D.

I set aside a clean area, positioned all the screwdrivers neatly, got some empty containers for the screws, and got to work.

Luckily, I only had to go as far as removing the back panel :D Holding the back panel in one hand, holding down the CF door microswitch in the other hand while simultaneously flipping the power switch on, my camera lights up and rejoins the land of the living!

I slowly put everything (very carefully, after having destroyed a LCD screen ribbon a month ago) back together. After tightening the last screw, I test it again, and it powers on again. I take out the battery, put it back in, and it still lights up. I put a CF card in and a lens on, and it takes photos without any signs of problem.

I am so grateful that my camera is working right now :)
 
swift412 said:
I plugged my Canon 350D into my PC yesterday to download some photos. Usually I use a card reader but I left it at work. I plug it in, my PC picks it up, but doesn't see any photos on the camera. Weird...

I unplug my camera. At this point the top LCD screen is still on, showing f4.5, 205 shots left, exposure meter etc. I switch it off, and the screen stays on. I flip the switch on and off, press buttons but no response. I figure it's just frozen up, so I take the battery out and put it back in.
Click to expand...
I commend your resolve - by this stage I would have been pouring through the latest B&H catalogue :D

Kudos.

Will using a card reader in future prevent a reoccurrence?
 
Plug it into your PC again I wanna see what happens. :p

bwana I would have already ordered a new 7d after it failed to turn on the first time. :o
 
bwana if you go through that BH catalogue and happen to see a sony alpha 12mp with a 500mm or higher lens just add it to cart, ill send u my address :)
 
It seems as if my 400D is starting to kick the bucket :/
The onboard flash will fire a few times before giving me an error 99 :/ Sigh
 
Thanks for the link bwana, i'll give it a read later on. I was at a friends party last night and noticed it giving problems when i used the onboard flash with the kit lens. I didnt have any problems when i used my speedlight tho. But after work ill play around more and see what i come up with.
I also have two eneric batteries in the grip which is on the 400D so ill look into that as well

edit: oh yes, I have the same problem with the 350D I got. As soon as I raise the popup flash it gives the same error :/
so i guess its the same problem
 
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swift412 said:
I plugged my Canon 350D into my PC yesterday to download some photos. Usually I use a card reader but I left it at work. I plug it in, my PC picks it up, but doesn't see any photos on the camera. Weird...

I unplug my camera. At this point the top LCD screen is still on, showing f4.5, 205 shots left, exposure meter etc. I switch it off, and the screen stays on. I flip the switch on and off, press buttons but no response. I figure it's just frozen up, so I take the battery out and put it back in.

I turn the power switch on, and nothing happens. I trying taking things out and putting them back on, still no signs of life. At this stage, I begin to worry, A LOT :eek:

After a lot of Google'ing, I found someone on a forum saying that taking both batteries out, then closing the battery door and leaving the camera switch on, then putting the batteries back in helps with this sometimes.

I tried this, and it worked!

Then, in my infinite wisdom, I tried plugging in the USB cable, and the EXACT same thing happens again :rolleyes:

However, this time, leaving the batteries out doesn't work. I try the recommended 15 seconds. Nothing. I try a minute. Nothing. I try 10 minutes - nothing. I decide to let it stand overnight. 5 hours later, I wake up, try it again, nothing.

I decide to let it stand for 12 hours, while I'm at work and around. I decided to pick up a new CR-2016 battery for it, just in case.

I get home, and try putting the batteries back in, and nothing :(

At this point I got really desperate, and ending up looking for step by step photos on dismantling a 350D.

I set aside a clean area, positioned all the screwdrivers neatly, got some empty containers for the screws, and got to work.

Luckily, I only had to go as far as removing the back panel :D Holding the back panel in one hand, holding down the CF door microswitch in the other hand while simultaneously flipping the power switch on, my camera lights up and rejoins the land of the living!

I slowly put everything (very carefully, after having destroyed a LCD screen ribbon a month ago) back together. After tightening the last screw, I test it again, and it powers on again. I take out the battery, put it back in, and it still lights up. I put a CF card in and a lens on, and it takes photos without any signs of problem.

I am so grateful that my camera is working right now :)
Click to expand...

This has happened to me twice with my nikon D60. Each time I pulled the USB cord out while the cam was still on and the camera not "disconected from the PC". Then I just put the battery on charge and after about an hour pop it back and and Tada it works fine.

I must however really get a card reader :o I will cry if my Cam breaks down for any reason.
 
I'm too scared to plug it into the USB cable now :D

I unfortunately don't have to budget to shop for a new body, after it died I started looking through gumtree and Outdoorphoto's classifieds :o
 
chau said:
edit: oh yes, I have the same problem with the 350D I got. As soon as I raise the popup flash it gives the same error :/
so i guess its the same problem
Click to expand...
Is that also using the same Kit lens?
 
GreGorGy said:
Your story of woe - albeit with a happy ending - has had an unexpected side effect: astronomical photography is something I never really did much of but the one link you had up there took me down a path that ended with two things:
http://www.deep-sky.co.uk/imaging/dslr/dslr.htm; and
what I am doing tonight, come clear skies...
Click to expand...

Read the article. Very interesting. What I am missing from the article is how to 'follow the rotation of the sky'. Usually when I take pictures of the sky at an extended shutter speed, I get star trails. How did this guy manage to not get them? Is his camera mounted on a synched motor or something? The article doesn't really say :(

Juice
 
bwana said:
Is that also using the same Kit lens?
Click to expand...

Nope, I leave the 28-300 on there and it gives that error as soon as you open the popup flash. Still does that without a lens attached.
I just checked out the 400D and it seems as if it's not doing that anymore. I took quite a few shots with the kit lens, without a lens and with my 28-300 and nothing. Maybe it was just a once off thing that was happening last night
 
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